In the construction and maintenance of roads, drainage ditches are commonly constructed alongside the roadway to provide for the drainage of fluid from the road surface therein. Since roads are typically "crowned", or sloped from the center of the road downwardly toward each road edge, two such drainage ditches are typically provided with one on each side of the road.
A known problem associated with such an arrangement, particularly true with respect to gravel roads, is the formation of raised road shoulders, or so-called berms, between the roadway and the respective ditches. Such berms form due to vehicular travel on the road which acts to wear down the road surface and/or relocate a portion of the road surface on the shoulder thereof. Another source of berm formation is vegetation growth along a road shoulder which, if left unattended, tends to trap loose soil therein from road graters, snow removal equipment and other vehicles.
A known problem associated with drainage ditches, again particularly true with respect to gravel roads, is the accumulation of earthen material therein. Such accumulation may be due to a number of causes, such as soil and sediment carried therein via fluid drainage from the road, formation of vegetation therein and loose soil deposited therein from road graters and snow removal equipment.
An end result common to the foregoing problems is the accumulation of fluid on the road surface, due to improper drainage therefrom, which accumulation rapidly deteriorates the road surface by forming bumps and fluid retaining reservoirs therein. Such deterioration then produces the need for road grating which may further aggravate the problem.
Several road treatment apparatuses have been designed with an intent to alleviate at least some of the foregoing problems. An example of one known berm reducing apparatus is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,195 to Scordilis et al. which discloses a berm reducing apparatus having an earth cutting drum mounted transversely to a vehicle, wherein the drum may include a number of earth cutting teeth thereon. The drum is disclosed as being actuatable between a vertical transport position and a cutting angle of approximately 30 degrees below horizontal. The Scordilis et al. berm reducing apparatus is thus operable to cut, and thereby loosen, both berms and ditch sidewalls. However, the apparatus is operable only to windrow the excavated earth to one or the other side of the cutting drum so that the windrowed earthen material must be subsequently collected by another apparatus in order to finish the job. While the earth cutting and windrowing operation may be easily accomplished with the Scordilis et al. apparatus, the task of collecting the windrowed earth is arduous and time consuming.
What is therefore needed is a berm reducing apparatus operable to excavate both berms and ditch sidewalls, and to further expel the excavated material over the ditch so as not to cause undue accumulation of earthen material in the ditch. However, since many roads in need of such treatment line residential and commercial property, such an apparatus should further include an option to windrow the excavated earthen material for subsequent collection. Finally, such an apparatus would preferably permit the vehicle operator to excavate berms and/or ditches having obstructions therein, without requiring the vehicle operator to interrupt the forward motion of the vehicle.